Kid Charlemagne wrote:I'm moving to Rogers Park within the next month or two, and am already trying to figure out what my new "go to" places will be for takeout, grocery stores, etc. I'm moving from the western burbs so I don't know that area real well, though I have a lot of friends in the area. I'll be in the Columbia and Clark area.
What are your recommendations?

Here's one - viewtopic.php?f=19&t=27952
A suggestion, do a search using your new zip code.

Dave148 wrote:

Kid Charlemagne wrote:A suggestion, do a search using your new zip code.

Ah, that was a very good suggestion - thanks!

There are tons of great Mexican taco/torta places up & down Clark. At $5 a pop you can try them all & decide which you like best. I used to work up there, but it's been a while, so I can't recall the names of the ones I really liked. But I never stepped foot into a bad one.

The Morse Market has a great selection of (cheap) produce, as well as many Mexican products you'll want (including Mexican Coke). There's also a market on Jarvis/Clark that's got nice stuff.

The Common Cup is a coffee shop on Morse; featuring Intelligentsia coffee, they make a great cup of whatever it is you're looking for. The owner is usually there as well, and she's charming. Great place to sit down & relax for a bit.

Mayne Stage is opening shortly, from what I've heard about the menu at Act One Cafe, it seems like it's going to be upscale pub-ish, but they've got a real chef, as opposed to guys who dump things in fryers, so that's encouraging.

There's a Greek diner type place up on Clark (north of Morse) as well. A greek salad w/grilled chicken will run you $13 (!!!), but it'll feed you nicely for at least 2 meals.

Sorry I can't be more specific. Other than a visit to Mayne Stage a bit back I haven't been up there recently.

Up till now, one type of cuisine that has been lacking in Rogers Park is upscale contemporary American (although there are numerous such places in nearby Evanston). Starting May 21, that will no longer be the case. I just heard that Act One Cafe will be opening that day on Morse. This is a venture featuring Executive Chef Jimmy Madla, who will continue to operate his Latin fusion restaurant, Coobah, in Lakeview. Act One Cafe's website at actonecafe.com is not yet operational, but I've looked at their dinner menu* and their brunch menu* and both sound very appealing as well as reasonably priced. I'm looking forward to trying it.

Disclaimer: I have absolutely nothing to do with this business except as a prospective customer.

EDIT: I tried including links to those menus in this post, but for some reason, they don't work, although I can view the menus by going to the website (which is not Act One's). Here is the text from the menus, which are in .pdf format:

DINNER MENU
Appetizers, Sides, Salads
Iceberg Wedge
Green goddess dressing, Dunburton cheddared-blue cheese, candied bacon and red
onion
6
Romaine and Charred Radicchio
Salad with spicy honey roasted garlic dressing, radish and Parmesan croutons
6
Chicken Liver Mousse
With cherry-port jelly and smoky clove lavash
6
Chilled Shrimp
Poached in a beer and lemon “shandy” served with house-made gingered cocktail
sauce
7.5
Seared Scallops
With browned butter, flowering chive and crunchy brioche crumble
7.5
Calamari
Soaked in buttermilk, flash fried and served with spicy smoked tomato sauce
6.5
Lobster Hushpuppies
Crispy lobster and cornmeal fritters with tarragon aioli
8
Fries
Hand-cut, double-cooked Kennebec potatoes sprinkled with sea salt
4.5
Veggie Tater Tots
Made with zucchini, red pepper and olive with whipped goat cheese
7
Crispy Spring Rolls
Filled with spicy jerked chicken, caramelized plantain and cabbage
6.5
Crab Parfait
Layers of Jonah crab, Hagan’s smoked trout, avocado and charred tomato with Old
Bay seasoned crackers
8.5
Sandwiches
Served with your choice of fries or a side salad
Dietzler Farm Burger
Naturally raised Wisconsin beef with lettuce, tomato and onion on a Highland
Bakery brioche bun
Add ons: North Country cob-smoked bacon, cheese, sautéed mushrooms, charred
green chiles
9.5 (two add ons included)
Berkshire Pork French Dip
Slow roasted for seven hours, sliced thin and served on a Highland Bakery French
roll with natural jus and very hot house-made mustard
8
Grilled Vegetable Cubano
Pressed sandwich with spicy avocado mayo, house-made pickles and Swiss cheese
7
Entrées
Ravioli
House-made pasta filled with artichoke and ricotta, and served with Sauvignon
Blanc butter sauce and toasted pistachios
14
Chicken Paillard
Free-range chicken pounded thin served with watercress, bacon, Parmesan and
cherry tomato salad
15
Bistro Steak
Dietzler Farm 10 oz. hangar steak with Act One steak sauce and classic mashed
potato
18
Seafood “Booyah”
With shrimp, scallops, calamari, Fresno chili and black beans in a saffron-tomato
broth
20
Fish and Chips
“Boilermaker” battered and served with house-made tartar sauce and spicy malt
vinegar
12
Desserts
Malted Chocolate Pot au Crème
Turbinado sugar brulée, brandied Chantilly and vanilla tuile
5.5
Bread Pudding
White chocolate and pistachios with “Manhattan” hard sauce
5.5
Roasted Carrot and Coconut Cheesecake
With malted whipped cream and cinnamon wafer
5.5
Berry Galette
Rustic tart with seasonal berries and house-made vanilla gelato
5.5

BRUNCH MENU
Brunch Buffet
Saturday and Sunday, 10 a.m. -3 p.m.
$12.99 per person
Buffet items will change every week, but items included in the buffet’s regular
rotation include:
Thick cut Apple-wood smoked bacon
House-made Pork-Maple sausage
House-made turkey-fennel sausage
Berkshire pork, chile and potato hash
Buttermilk and cornmeal pancakes
Challah French toast
Malted waffles with pearled sugar
Breakfast “Lasagna”
“Triple- threat” country gravy with biscuits
Quinoa salad with roasted vegetables
House-made cookies and brownies
Roasted Berkshire pork shoulder

nsxtasy wrote:Up till now, one type of cuisine that has been lacking in Rogers Park is upscale contemporary American (although there are numerous such places in nearby Evanston). Starting May 21, that will no longer be the case. I just heard that Act One Cafe will be opening that day on Morse. This is a venture featuring Executive Chef Jimmy Madla, who will continue to operate his Latin fusion restaurant, Coobah, in Lakeview. Act One Cafe's website at actonecafe.com is not yet operational, but I've looked at their dinner menu* and their brunch menu* and both sound very appealing as well as reasonably priced. I'm looking forward to trying it.

Disclaimer: I have absolutely nothing to do with this business except as a prospective customer.

Thanks!

.pdfs downloaded just fine for me. Menus look great; and reasonably priced, which is always nice. I'd forgotten who the chef was. Thanks for the reminder. I should've remembered, considering how close I live to Coobah Looking forward to patronizing Act One as well as being a frequent visitor to Mayne Stage; which is just gorgeous.

dupreeblue wrote:.pdfs downloaded just fine for me.

Adobe had a problem reading them from the LTH link for me. < shrug >

If anyone wants to try them, here are the links:

Act One Cafe dinner menu
Act One Cafe brunch buffet

I know I'm resurrecting an old thread, but I searched and this seemed the most appropriate (I read the other couple threads regarding neighborhoods).

I lived in Chicago for most of last year (LTH you were an invaluable resource), in Lakeview and for a little while in Streeterville, so I think I have a decent grasp of the central neighborhoods, but don't know much about the more north neighborhoods (Rogers Park/Edgewater/Ravenswood/etc...). Anyways, I'm moving back for grad school at Northwestern (15 mo. program), and when I went out to check out Northwestern, I got a little worried about the town being pretty "quiet" and lacking good food. I'm (34) moving from the Bay Area (CA) with a friend (23, she's never been to Chicago), and we'd like a place that has good food options and some good social (bars/etc...) options nearby. Need something accessible to Northwestern by public transportation (ie, purple express).

Any advice? Roger's Park? Stick in Evanston? Lakeview? Near North/River North?

Thanks in advance!

I live in Rogers Park. I'd stick to Evanston, personally.

Edgewater

shorter enough commute to NU and better access to eats in the city.

JMO

mdpilam wrote:when I went out to check out Northwestern, I got a little worried about the town being pretty "quiet" and lacking good food.

Huh??? Sounds like you were only looking at the area immediately around the university and not looking at the rest of Evanston. Evanston offers not only its convenience to the university (to which you will be traveling most every day) but also maximum variety of food, much of which is quite good, and some of it great. Evanston has a wide variety of excellent food options in all price ranges, extending from great burgers (Edzo's - a GNR, DMK Burger & Fish) to sandwiches (Al's Deli - a GNR) to Thai (Thai Sookdee) to Chinese (Lao Sze Chuan for that province, Café 527 for Taiwanese) to fine dining (Quince, Oceanique) to casual fine dining (Found, Campagnola, Boltwood*) to inexpensive Italian carryout (Panino's) to deep-dish (Lou Malnati's, Giordano's) to seafood (Davis Street Fishmarket) to steaks (Pete Miller's) to French (Bistro Bordeaux) to hot dogs (Wiener and Still Champion - a GNR). It also has excellent options for food shopping, including its big farmers market on Saturdays, Whole Foods (two locations, soon to be three), Trader Joe's, Foodstuffs, the Spice House (a GNR), and Jewel (two locations). For places for drink as well as food, there's the Stained Glass (wine bar), Prairie Moon (sports bar), Tommy Nevins, and the Celtic Knot (Irish pub), among others. For entertainment, there's Space, the concert venue behind Union Pizzeria, and Live 27, another musical venue, as well as several live theater companies and the big Century theaters for films.

*Disclaimer: I have not yet been to the recently-opened Boltwood.

Ken beat me to it.

mdpilam wrote:I know I'm resurrecting an old thread, but I searched and this seemed the most appropriate (I read the other couple threads regarding neighborhoods).

I lived in Chicago for most of last year (LTH you were an invaluable resource), in Lakeview and for a little while in Streeterville, so I think I have a decent grasp of the central neighborhoods, but don't know much about the more north neighborhoods (Rogers Park/Edgewater/Ravenswood/etc...). Anyways, I'm moving back for grad school at Northwestern (15 mo. program), and when I went out to check out Northwestern, I got a little worried about the town being pretty "quiet" and lacking good food. I'm (34) moving from the Bay Area (CA) with a friend (23, she's never been to Chicago), and we'd like a place that has good food options and some good social (bars/etc...) options nearby. Need something accessible to Northwestern by public transportation (ie, purple express).

Any advice? Roger's Park? Stick in Evanston? Lakeview? Near North/River North?

Thanks in advance!

I lived in Rogers Park for several years before moving to our current home in Edgewater. I love our current location. Walkable to the lake, Andersonville, Argyle Street. Public transportation (buses and L) within a couple of blocks. I still go up to some of my favorites in Rogers Park: Morse Fresh Market, Taste Food and Wine, assorted taquerias on Clark. As nsxtasy and nr706 point out, Evanston has a lot going on as well. I think you'll find benefits and drawbacks everywhere. Your decision might depend on housing availability/affordability from what I hear of the rental market.

Some updates to some of the places mentioned in this thread:

Cafe Suron - 1146 W. Pratt Ave -> Now Twisted Tapas

Deta's Cafe - 7555 N. Ridge -> Now Patch Cafe

La Cucina di Donatella - 2221 West Howard -> Closed

Gruppo di Amici - 1508 W. Jarvis Ave -> Now [url=rpublichouse.com]R Public House[/url]

Cafe Salamera - 6653 N. Clark Street -> Now Masouleh Restaurant

Morseland - 1218 W. Morse Ave -> Closed

Cafe Ennui - 6981 N. Sheridan -> Now The Growling Rabbit

Candlelite - 7542 N. Western -> Still there!

I think it depends on where you plan to spend your weekday evenings and late nights. Late evening (post-rush-hour) public transit to/from Evanston is a PITA. Driving is just fine. We used to live there and drive down to restaurants in the north side of Chicago all the time. You can easily do the reverse, though parking in Evanston is also a PITA. If you think you'll be doing lots of late evenings in Chicago, live there. Evanston is lovely, has good food and shopping, and plenty to do thanks to the University, but it's not for everyone, and the same for Chicago.

nsxtasy wrote:

mdpilam wrote:when I went out to check out Northwestern, I got a little worried about the town being pretty "quiet" and lacking good food.

Huh??? Sounds like you were only looking at the area immediately around the university and not looking at the rest of Evanston. Evanston offers not only its convenience to the university (to which you will be traveling most every day) but also maximum variety of food, much of which is quite good, and some of it great. Evanston has a wide variety of excellent food options in all price ranges, extending from great burgers (Edzo's - a GNR, DMK Burger & Fish) to sandwiches (Al's Deli - a GNR) to Thai (Thai Sookdee) to Chinese (Lao Sze Chuan for that province, Café 527 for Taiwanese) to fine dining (Quince, Oceanique) to casual fine dining (Found, Campagnola, Boltwood*) to inexpensive Italian carryout (Panino's) to deep-dish (Lou Malnati's, Giordano's) to seafood (Davis Street Fishmarket) to steaks (Pete Miller's) to French (Bistro Bordeaux) to hot dogs (Wiener and Still Champion - a GNR). It also has excellent options for food shopping, including its big farmers market on Saturdays, Whole Foods (two locations, soon to be three), Trader Joe's, Foodstuffs, the Spice House (a GNR), and Jewel (two locations). For places for drink as well as food, there's the Stained Glass (wine bar), Prairie Moon (sports bar), Tommy Nevins, and the Celtic Knot (Irish pub), among others. For entertainment, there's Space, the concert venue behind Union Pizzeria, and Live 27, another musical venue, as well as several live theater companies and the big Century theaters for films.

*Disclaimer: I have not yet been to the recently-opened Boltwood.

Yeah, it was a very short trip, so I didn't get to check out much of Evanston. I just remember walking around at about 9pm and barely seeing anyone out and about and having to eat dinner at a bar (JT's Bar?) because that's all that was open at 10. And when I lived in Chicago, all of my food research centered on the City (I did know about Edzo's but that was about it).

Thanks for the replies, LTH is the best. Looking forward to having you as a resource again!

Hi- I live in Evanston, and I have been to JT's Bar, and it was okay, but you can do better. I believe the Celtic Knot which is on Church, is open later, and I know all the pizza businesses are, as well as Tommy Nevin's Pub. I used to take someone from WInnetka to the summer band concerts at Pick Staiger, and sometimes we would go to Norris before the concert and eat at the cafeteria there, and the rest of the time we would hit a restaurant in Evanston such as Giordono's, which was open past 9:00. Almost all of the restaurants close at 9:00 in Winnetka, and the village is dead then. There are a lot of people out and about at 9:00 in downtown Evanston, and plus after 9:00 PM, the parking is free. If you do park in downtown Evanston before 9:00 pm, and don't feed the meters you will get a ticket. The parking enforcement people work until 9:00. They had to crack down on that because there were too many people that lived in Evanston, and did not have a place to park their car, and they were parking in the lot behind the library starting at 6:00PM, and if you wanted to go to the library, you could not find a parking place there.

Personally I much prefer living in Evanston to living in Chicago, but you should be warned, that in general rents in Rogers Park are much cheaper than they are in Evanston. A lot of that has to do with the sky high property taxes in Evanston. 47% of the properties in Evanston are off the tax roles. There are also several luxury apartment buildings in downtown Evanston that are catering to the students at Northwestern that are well to do. There is one they are building right now on Emerson, right by the farmer's market. For me it is worth it to live in Evanston just to be convenient to the farmer's market, which is one of the best ones in the area. I personally wish that Mariano's had taken over the Dominick's on Green Bay instead of Whole Foods. Why do we need three Whole Foods? Hope this helps, Nancy

Just wanted to poke my head in to say that Chouxfly and I moved to the northern-most edge of east Rogers Park last month. We don't eat out much, but we are looking forward to exploring. We did have some delicious take-out from Redz (I had the tilapia in coconut sauce) and a "kebab" (more like gyros) from SP Kebab (also... superb french fries).

One thing I am really enjoying is the community gardens. Not only do I have a plot in the Howard Community Garden (on Juneway and N. Hermitage, just steps from our condo), but there's a new huge garden on Howard and Ashland, and a pretty big garden at the Gale elementary school as well.

The dead Dominick's on Howard and Clark just reopened last week as a Jewel. I wish it was a Mariano's, but there's a new one going in at Touhy and McCormick, so that's better than nothing. And I am grateful to have a grocery store in easy walking/biking distance. There's a sketchy little bodega (Paulina Certified) even closer; all the produce is wrapped tightly in plastic and the meat is... questionable at best. But the wide array of snack foods from all over the world is pretty fascinating to browse.

Also, I recently heard that the little snack shack on Loyola Beach, run by the Heartland Cafe, is being revamped to include a patio with music and beer/wine service.

Redz Belizean Restaurant
7605 N Paulina St
Chicago, IL 60626

SP Kebab
6808 N Sheridan Rd
Chicago, IL 60626

Paulina Certified
7622 N. Paulina
Chicago, IL 60626

Hi- Is the garden at Howard/Ashland a community garden? I almost considered going to that Jewel store tonight, but I went to the one on Chicago avenue and Greenleaf in Evanston instead. I wanted to get some frozen yogurt that was on sale through today, and which I had 3 coupons for $1 off, but all they had was one flavor left, Moose Tracks, which has more fat than I would like, but I finally tracked somebody down in frozen, and asked him if they had any more in back, and he said no. I ended up getting them after all, because they were only $2 with the coupon, and I really like Kemp's frozen yogurt. While I was there they were handing out free samples of tide, and so I got two of those, and I got a Healthy Choice dinner they had marked down to 99 cents. I also ran into a friend of mine who has been participating in a adult reading contest at the Evanston public library. They have weekly drawings, and she won a $25 gift certificate for Hoosier Mama's. She is going to take her grown son and her boyfriend there, and I told her that she will love it, but $25 will only get you a piece of pie and a cup of coffee for three people. She thinks $5 is too much for pie, but I told her it was worth it there.

BTW- The Jewel on Chicago Avenue still has a ton of 40 pound bags of manure and mushroom compost marked down to $1. Hope this helps, Nancy

To expand upon Ken's (nsxtasy) list of great Evanston places, it should be noted that the home of the Women's Christian Temperance Union, and formerly dry community for many decades, is now a hoppin' place to get a drink.

Temperance Brewing, just off Dempster, might be a little hard to find, but they're turning out some fine beers, and it's a fun space, with a spacious patio overlooking a parking lot and the back of a struggling strip mall. Try the Gatecrasher pale ale or the Root Down porter. Although there's not much of a kitchen there, there are frequently guest food offerings.

Just opened last week is Smylie Bros. Brewpub - an ambitious operation on Oak Street across from the post office. Food is surprisingly good, and try the Cali Common (think Anchor Steam) or the Farmhouse.

Peckish Pig brewpub is down on Howard Street, also with pretty good food. I have to give their beers another chance. But, if you're thirsty, they're right next door to Ward 8, an outstanding craft cocktail bar, and a GNR.

And some of those cocktails are made with booze from FEW spirits, which distills mostly gins and whiskeys in a former auto chop shop down an alley off Chicago Ave, just north of Main St. The third Friday of every month they'll have a "FEW Friday" party, with bands and a food truck filling the alley. A good time.

Temperance Brewing
2000 Dempster St (through the parking lot and around the back)
Evanston

Smylie Bros.
1615 Oak Avenue
Evanston

The Peckish Pig
623 Howard Street
Evanston

Ward 8
629 W Howard St
Evanston

FEW Spirits
918 Chicago Ave
Evanston

P.S. Evanston is the most exciting city in Illinois

Hi- I walked past Smylie Brothers on Saturday on my way home from the art fair, and business was really hopping. The place looks gorgeous.

BTW- There is a new place for takeout food on Noyes Street, right next to Al's Deli that was selling food at the art fair. It is called Tomate Fresh Kitchen. They sell empanadas, tacos, burritos, and gorditas. They also do delivery.

Tomate Fresh Kitchen
914 1/2 Noyes Street
Evanston, IL 60201
847-905-0194

The garden at Howard and Ashland is a community garden--the newest member of the Peterson Garden Project family! It's called "Hello Howard' and may even have a plot or two still available (our own mbh would know for sure since she's one of the garden captains there!). Here's the website if you want more info.

And Nancy--the Kemp's Moosetracks froyo is my SO's absolutely favorite. Where did you get the coupons and is the sale still going as far as you know?

Hi- The sale ended at Jewel yesterday, as well as the coupon. The coupon was I believe in the 5/29 Tribune. Unfortunately their website never has coupons. I know because I checked, and they said their coupons only appear in the Sunday papers. I tried the moose track last night, and it is okay, but I like the sea salt truffle flavor better. I almost like that one too much. I also like the cherry one too. With the coupons that I had they were $2. Now they are $4.99, which I won't pay. At least I have enough to last me three weeks, and by then something else will be on sale.

I have a community garden in Evanston on McCormick that I have had for 26 years. The city had such a long waiting list for their gardens five years ago, that when somebody gave up a garden, the gardening coordinator split it up into two gardens. McCormick is the most popular community garden in Evanston though. James Park is the largest though. Parking is problematic at James Park though when there are soccer games going on there. Hope this helps, Nancy

Peterson Garden Project gardens are not free; they are $75 per growing season for a 4" by 8" raised plot. The Ashland/Howard garden is a pop-up, meaning this could be a one-shot deal if the property is sold, but it's been a trashy vacant lot for years, so I wouldn't lose sleep over that. Just don't plant any perennials you care about losing.

Here are the details on what that $75 includes.

Hi- The community gardens in Evanston are much larger. I have half a plot and it is approximately 10'x20', and I only pay $35 a year, and that includes free wood chips and free water. You used to be able to get a whole plot for $40, and that included free leaf mulch too as well as water and wood chips, but the city was losing money on the gardens, and decided they had to be self sufficient. We have a part time paid community gardening coordinator, but I am not sure how much she is paid. I am sure she is not paid tons of money. The location where I have my garden is owned by the metropolitan water district, and I think the city leases it from them, but there has never been any concern that the MWD is going to take the land back, and like I say I have been gardening there for 26 years I have heard that Evanston has one of the best deals around when it comes to community gardens. I just wish they still would be providing us with free leaf mulch. It can get expensive when you have to buy your own. The city used to compost all the leaves they collected in the fall over at James Park, but they got a lot of complaints from people that lived in the neighborhood about the smell, and plus I think they decided they could save some money if they hauled them off somewhere else to be composted. I think that somebody in Glenview takes the leaves off their hands now for a fee.

The Howard Area Community Garden folks only asked for $10 as an annual fee, but all you get is the plot (and everyone shares one hose). I'm guessing my plot is 15'x15'? There's a beautiful three-stage composting system built in the back that, as far as I can tell, has never been used, so I'm starting to layer compostables in the first bin.

Peckish Pig and Ward 8 are on our wishlists!

An old thread getting a bump because we'll be moving to East Rogers Park near Jarvis. I imagine we'll consider our "local" range to include the north part of Edgewater to at least Main St. in Evanston.

I'd love to hear about favs for food, drinks and groceries in the area. I see there are a few GNRs in the area, and the realtor, who lives in the neighborhood, had good things to say about R Public House and Morse Fresh Market. We popped into Charmers Cafe for a coffee and it looks to have a relaxed and welcoming neighborhood vibe.

Assuming you've already seen some of places that get love in this forum. (Susie's, ward 8, cross Rhodes, etc), Here's a few of my favorites which are also probably mentioned here:

Rogers park social - nice place to grab a cocktail or a beer
Lickity split - usually here every couple weeks for a scoop on a cone
Smak dab - good option for breakfast/brunch plates
All the places on Devon, if you want to venture a little west
Buffalo Joe's - objectively it's not the best, but I still love their suicide wings

I haven't been to too many of the Mexican places on Clark. I'm hoping others have some favorites

And if you are into yoga, I really like centered studios on Glenwood. Good people there

One nearby area that has developed in just the past few years is Howard Street in Evanston (Peckish Pig, Cafe Coralie, etc).

Around Main Street in Evanston you have Campagnola (moderately-priced upscale American and Italian) and Oceanique (pricey seafood-oriented for a special occasion), IMHO the two best places in all of Evanston.

Thanks for the suggestions! I lived in Evanston back in college and get up there fairly frequently, so I'm somewhat familiar with that restaurant scene.

Apologies if anybody has already listed this but El Sabor Poblano is a fantastic family run puebla style joint on Clark. I've only been once so far but will be back for sure. Sula reviewed it in the reader and pretty much nailed it.

El Sabor Poblano
7027 N Clark St
Chicago, IL 60626

MunicipalTruckin wrote:Sula reviewed it in the reader and pretty much nailed it.

Link: El Sabor Poblano smells like home